Guarascio Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division at 1000 Islands
OutdoorHub 08.28.12
Frank Guarascio of Whitesboro, N.Y., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 23 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division event at 1000 Islands. For his victory, Guarascio earned $2,985.
“I fished in the EverStart series event up here last weekend,” said Guarascio. “I had found an area that was producing the quality needed to win a tournament, however due to the strong winds on day two I was not able to fish it and had a disappointing finish. I knew that if the weather cooperated for me during this event, I’d have a good shot.”
The weather did cooperate for the most part, and Guarascio was able to make the 40-mile run from Clayton to mid-lake on Lake Ontario. Guarascio fished isolated boulders and pea-gravel runs along the flats in 12- to 15-feet of water using a 3½-inch Strike King Coffee Tube.
“The majority of my fish came on the Coffee Tube, but I got the big 5-pound, 2-ounce smallie by drop-shotting,” Guarascio said.
“The fish were not grouped up like they are traditionally at this time of year up here,” Guarascio went on to say. “I had to hit a lot of waypoints. I would pull up, catch one or two, and then move on. I had around 20 different waypoints that I was checking. My Phoenix boat was crucial for me out there. I had great ride time and it made the run with ease.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Kevin Bishop, Hilton, N.Y., five bass, 21-14, $1,493
3rd: Joe Zombek, Scranton, Pa., five bass, 21-9, $994
4th: Dean Meckes, Clayton, N.Y., five bass, 20-14, $697
5th: Mark Schafer, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 19-0, $597
6th: Howard Hammonds, Westport, N.Y., five bass, 17-13, $522
6th: Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., five bass, 17-13, $522
8th: James Kloos, Monroe Township, N.Y., five bass, 17-3, $448
9th: John Lorenzo, Kane, Pa., five bass, 16-15, $373
9th: Matthew Martin, Chittenango, N.Y., five bass, 16-15, $373
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Jordon Davis of De Kalb Junction, N.Y., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 4 ounces Saturday to win $1,493 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Joseph Zapf, Whippany, N.J., five bass, 18-15, $746
3rd: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., five bass, 17-4, $497
4th: William Maynard, Whitesboro, N.Y., five bass, 17-2, $348
5th: Dane Anderson, Newburgh, N.Y., five bass, 16-5, $299
6th: Matthew Hedges, Rome, N.Y., five bass, 16-0, $274
7th: Jody Werner, Tatamy, Pa., five bass, 15-11, $249
8th: Destin DeMarion, Erie, Pa., five bass, 14-14, $224
9th: George Barnes, Hughesville, Pa., five bass, 14-9, $199
10th: James Root, Greene, N.Y., five bass, 14-4, $174
The final BFL Northeast Division tournament is scheduled for Sept. 15-16 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. After that tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
